Octave-coupling mechanism.



J. GALLEAZZI. OGTAVE COUPLING MECHANISM.

, I APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1912. I 1,059,535, Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

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J. GALLEAZZI. OGTAVE COUPLING MECHANISM. APPLIOATION IILED'JUNE a, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

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JOSEPH GALLEAZZI, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

OCTAVE-COUPLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

Application filed June 3, 1912. Serial No. 701,183.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrn GALLEAZZI, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Octave-Cou pling Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide mechanism for coupling octaves in accordions and the like, which will be simple and effective and can be used interchangeably to couple higher or lower octaves, or both, as desired.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a broken plan view of an accordion equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse broken cross section thereof; Fig. 3 is a broken longitudinal section thereof viewed from the front; Fig.4is abroken rear view thereof; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a valve and operating mechanism therefor;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are similar views of actuating mechanism at difierent parts of the instrument.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates. the sounding board of an accordion, having reed openings 2, and 3 indicates the key bed thereof, in which are pivoted, as shown at 4, the keys 5. In the lower part of each key is screwed a screw 6, the head of which contacts with a lever 7 pivoted on a longitudinal rod' 8, the upper end of which lever abuts against an actuator rod 9, all of said actuator rods passing through holes 11 in a longitudinally extending guide 12, the ends of which are secured. on end pieces 13 of the frame of the accordion. To said actuator rods are secured sleeves 14, the front ends of which abut against the upper ends of arms 17, of bell crank levers 18, said actuator rods passing through holes 19 formed in the ends of said arms. Said bell crank levers are pivoted, as shown at 21, upon pivot rods 22 extending longitudinally of the accordion, and suitably secured thereto at different distances from the key-board corresponding to the different distances therein of three rows of reed openings. Other arms 23 of said bell crank levers are secured to valves 24, and said valves are normally held in the position for closing said reed openings by coiled springs 26, of each of which one end. engages an arm 23, and the other end engages the upper edge of an angular plate 27 secured to the sounding board. It will be seen that, with this mechanism, when any key 5 is pressed down upon the key board, a corresponding actuator rod 9 is moved longitudinally to raise the corresponding valve, so that the corresponding reed is sounded.

Slidable transversely of the accordion upon the end pieces 13 of its frame and between limiting pins 29, 31, and prevented from longitudinal movement by pins 32 are slide pieces 33 which support, and to which are connected, two channel-shaped containers 34 and a channel-shaped container 35, all extending parallel with each other and spaced at uniform distancesapart. These containers are moved transversely of the accordion by means of two bars 36 at the ends of the accordion, each attached to one end of the container 35, which bars 36 extend through the key bed 3 of the accordion, and

are then bent inwardly at right angles, as

shown at 37, their inner ends being engaged by the forked lower ends 38, 39, of vertical levers 41, located on the back of the key bed,

and pivoted above their middle points upon a longitudinalshaft 42 extending along said back and contained in stationary bearings 43 secured to said back. Said levers are formed in one piece with, and are rightangled extensions of, a horizontal bar 44 contained within a tube 46, to which is connected a suitable handle 47. It will readily be seen that, with this construction, on pressing the handle 47 rearwardly from the key bed, the lower ends of the vertical levers 41 will move inwardly or toward the key bed, .so that the bars 36, and consequently also the containers 34, 35, will move from the key board. Conversely a motion in the opposite direction of the handle will move the containers toward the key bed. 1 To each actuator rod are secured transversely extending pushers 48, each of which in the latter position of the container 34 is adapted to engage downward extensions 49 of standards 50 extending upwardly from, and formed integral with, shafts 51 extending longitudinally in the container 34, one in each direction thereof, and of a length corresponding to the distance between the valves of an octave, above or below as the case may be. Said extensions 49 are extended forwardly to form fingers 52 which .pass under arms 54 of T-pieces 56 erected upon the free ends of the valves. Consequently, in the latter position of the containers 34, each actuation of a key lever raises not only the valve of the note corresponding to said key, but also the valves of the octaves above and below. However, in the former position of the containers, they are moved so far from the key bed, that the pushers, when advanced by the key levers, do not operatively engage said extensions 49, and therefore the octaves are not-sounded.

Instead of actuating, simultaneously with the sounding of a note, the octaves both above and below the same, I provide means whereby only the upper or the lower octave, as desired, may be sounded. To accomplish this result I provide mechanism for turning the actuator rods, so that the pushers will be turned to the right or left, as the case may be, to actuate only one extension. For this purpose, there is attached to each actuator rod a crank arm 57 the terminal portion of which passes through a slot 58 formed in the upper edge of a vertical plate 59 slidable in a groove 61 in the upper edge of a guide 62. It is evident that, when the plate is moved longitudinally in the groove, all the crank arms 57 are moved likewise, and the actuator rods are correspondingly turned from their central position, so that only one of said extensions for each key is actuated, and only one octave is sounded. To so move said plate 59 there passes therethrough an end of a lever 63, which extends through the key bed to the rear, and is there engaged by a slotted shoe 64 carried by the lower end of an upright lever 66 pivoted upon the rear of the key bed, and the apertured upper end of which is engaged by an extension 67 from the tube 4-6. On moving said tube longitudinally by the handle 47, the upright lever is rocked, so that its lower end is moved in the opposite direction to the handle 47, thus correspondingly shifting the plate 59, and turning all the actuator rods, and the pushers secured thereto, to the right or left, as may be desired.

It is obvious that, if only valve openings and valves corresponding to the keys of the key board are provided, then it is not possible to sound the higher octave of the note corresponding to a key at the upper end of the key board, and the lower octave of a note corresponding to a key at the lower end. I therefore provide supplementary valves 69 and corresponding valve openings 71, and

the channel-shapedcontainer 35. The reedsof these valve openings are those which sound in octaves respectively above, and below those of the keys at the upper and lower end of the key board. Thus, supposing a key is less than an octave higher than the lowest key in the key board, then the actuator bar of said key, instead of having a single pusher 48, which engages extensions 49 corresponding to shafts extending longitudinally in both directions of the key board, has two separate pushers at difierent points of its length, as shown at Figs. 6 and 7, one 48 adapted to engage an extension 49 belonging to a shaft 51 in the container 34 in one direction only, and the other pusher 74 adapted to engage a finger 7 5 extending upwardly from a shaft 7 6 in the container 35 in the same direction as the former shaft. This latter pusher 74 is so formed that, when the actuator rod is turned from its normal or central position, so that the first pusher 73 engages the extension 49, the second pusher 74 would not so engage its finger 75, and conversely.

I thus provide mechanism, very simple in construction and convenient in use, by which either the octaves above and below the note of the key being operated are both sounded, or either of them is sounded, or neither octave is sounded.

I claim 1. In combination with key levers, actuator rods operated by said key levers, valves adapted to be actuated by said actuator rods, coupling shafts operatively engaging at one end said valves, devices upon the actuator rods adapted to operatively engage extensions from said coupling shafts, containers for said shafts, means for turning the actuator rods for moving said devices into or out of operative engagement with said extensions, and means for moving the containers to move said extensions into or out of operative engagement with said devices.

2. The combination of key levers, valves, actuator rods adapted to be operated by said key levers and adapted to operate said valves, crank arms extending from said actuator rods, means engaging said crank arms for turning all of said actuator rods, pushers connected to said actuator rods, longitudinal containers slidable transversely, shafts contained thereon each operatively connected to one of said valves and having an arm adapted to be engaged by a pusher in its normal position to rock said shaft, and means for moving said container transversely, whereby said latter arms are moved out of operative relation to the pushers.

3. The combination of key levers arranged in a row, valves respectively corresponding to said key levers also arranged in a row, actuating means. to actuate said valves from said key levers, a supplementary row of valves, means for coupling the valves in the mediate portion of said first-named row with valves in said row corresponding to octaves above and below, means for coupling the valves in the upper terminal portion of said row with valves insaid row corresponding to an octave below, with valves in the supplementary row corresponding to an octave above, and means for coupling the valves in lie In testimony whereof I have hereunto set the lower portion of said first named row my hand in the presence of two subscribing with valves in said row corresponding to an octave above and valves in the supplewitnesses.

mentary row corresponding to an octave JOSEPH GALLEAZZI. below, and means for moving said actuat- Witnesses:

ing means to render either coupling means FRANCIS M. WRIGHT,

operative or inoperative as desired. D. B. RICHARDS.

- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

